The Persistence of Gravity
by guesswhofern
Summary: Some lives are just made to intertwine. Slight AU- What if Deeks and Kensi had found each other earlier?


_A/N: Part one of this story seems OOC I agree, but we don't how both of them acted as teenagers or in the years before we watched them working at NCIS. We know Kensi lived on the streets while she was a teenager, but just after everything fell apart. Deeks met her before she left home. In my opinion it's not really OOC, just imagination on how they might have been when they were younger._

_Also - the songs I listened to for the third part were Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding and Can't Fight The Moonlight by LeAnn Rimes._

* * *

"I have loved you since we were 18

long before we both thought the same thing

to be loved, to be loved

all I can do, is say that these arms were made for holding you."

\- One Direction, _18_

* * *

The first time he saw her was when he had just turned 18.

He saw the beautiful brunette sitting in the sand on the beach on his 18th birthday, to be exact. The day was chilly, too cold to sit on the sand for hours, but still warm enough to actually spend time at the ocean and she's already been on the beach for more than an hour.

Deeks watches her from distance. He hasn't seen much of her face almost the whole time he's observed her, but the few times he did catch her looking out at the ocean he saw a very gorgeous young woman. When he looks to her again he notices that she must have been crying—but she doesn't cry like most of the girls he knows. They always wail and sob so everyone around them notices them and ask what's wrong.

This girl isn't like them at all. Apart from her shaking shoulders, there's not a single hint that she's crying. She hides her face mostly. Doesn't make any sound, either. He knows this kind of pain. It runs pretty deep into your soul and you can't recover fully from it. Ever. She doesn't want anybody to notice because it's very personal. He acts just like her.

Besides his best friend Ray, whom he's known since childhood and grew up with, no one really knows what he went through. Ray lived with him for some of the time. He fought for his friend, they fought together. Them against the rest of the world.

Ray was there when Deeks shot his father. Was there when his mother left him when he was seventeen.

Ray Martindale truly is his best friend.

This girl looks tough, even though her face is smeared with tears. He notices she isn't wearing make-up. She doesn't need to, she's beautiful the way she is.

He wonders what happened to her. Did her boyfriend break up with her? Did her pet die? Are her parents divorcing? Maybe it's something much worse, he doesn't know.

What he knows is that he wants to see her smile, at least once before he leaves today.

He watches her for a few more minutes before he puts his plan in action. He gets up from his spot and goes to one of the ice cream trucks on the beach. He thinks she's one of the girls who likes chocolate so he buys chocolate ice cream. He takes vanilla.

When he turns around he catches her watching him from afar. She turns around the minute his eyes meet hers, but he knows her eyes were on his. Maybe he had the same effect on her, even though she's experiencing some personal stuff at the moment.

He starts his way over to her with new confidence and sits down beside her as he reaches her.

"Hi," he simply says and holds out the ice cream for her, "My name is Marty and I have chocolate ice cream that needs to be eaten before it melts."

She scowls before taking the ice cream. "I don't need this."

Marty just grins at her before licking ice cream of his fingers. "This just gets everywhere and it's so sticky. Anyway, maybe you don't need it, but you do want it, because otherwise you wouldn't be eating it right now.

Her lips turn up into a small grin before quickly turning into a frown again that she covers by licking at the ice cream.

This is the first time he's seen her smile since she caught his eyes and it's like she put a spell on him. Her smile is so beautiful. The most beautiful smile he's seen in his life yet, and he will never forget it.

"Thanks," is the only thing she says.

He knows she's hurting and he forgives her for her unfriendly attitude. He's the one who went to her, it's not like he expected anything else. Thinking back, he knows there are girls who throw themselves on boys, although they only try to cheer them up. She's not like that, though. He knows it without actually knowing her.

She doesn't need to talk either, he's here for the talking.

"Listen, I don't know what happened to you and you really don't have to tell me. I just want you to know that although it seems impossible right now, things will get better and you will feel like yourself again. Maybe not in aminute, or a month, but someday in the future you will wake up and it's like something changed overnight. Before you say I don't know anything about it—and I know that's what you wanted to do when you opened your mouth—I can assure you I know what I'm talking about. Although I'm sure your pain is different than what I went through."

He takes a deep breath after what he just said. He didn't want to ramble but he just couldn't stop talking.

It felt... refreshing. Somehow he feels lighter now.

He chuckles softly and finally - finally catches her eyes because she's looking at him.

"Wow," he whispers before he catches himself. The word of admiration just slipped out but he couldn't help it because her eyes—just like her smile—do something to him he can't explain. There's something different about them, too. They're mis-matched and he's curious why.

"I mean, I hope you get what I wanted to say. It'll actually feel like someone taking pressure off your shoulders, and it's really great feeling," he explains and sees her slowly nodding her head before she throws a smile in his direction.

She clears her throat before beginning to speak.

"Thanks for the ice cream, Marty, and for what you just told me. Right now I have a hard time believing your words, but I'll remember them in the future."

He nods, smiling. "That's good to know. Who knows, maybe in a few months we'll meet again and you'll all but throw yourself at me and kiss me senseless because your hero Marty Deeks saved your life." He can't help but laugh about what he just said and doesn't expect what happens next.

"Ouch," he yelps and rubs his arm, "you just broke my heart, missy. Why did you do that?"

"Someone had to do it so your ego doesn't explode," she says, watching the ocean again.

He shakes his head, smiling. "Thanks, I guess." Deeks senses the girl wants to be alone, and since he doesn't want to upset her, he decides against his nature and stands up instead of rambling.

"Well, I need to go now. Appointments, dates, errands, you know," he says. "We meet again, one day, and you'll remember me," he adds.

He watches her biting her lip. "Don't be so sure about it, Deeks."

Already on his way back to his car, he begins to laugh at what she just said and turns around. "I just realized you know my name and I only know you're a brunette and beautiful," he says and regrets it the moment the word leaves his mouth, "and that wasn't supposed to come out but it's not like you don't know you're gorgeous," he rambles on.

"What do you want, Deeks?" she asks, blushing.

"Your name. To tell my friends about this girl I met."

"Kensi. My name is Kensi and don't you dare talk about me to your pervert friends," she tells him.

"Don't be so sure about it, Kensi," he says, repeating what she said to him.

"Just go," she says, annoyed.

"Bye Kensi," he says, and goes back living his life without the girl at the beach—but he never forgets her.

Kensi. The most beautiful person on earth.

He doesn't tell his friends about her, because she's his little secret.

* * *

The next time he meets her he can barely remember; but he remembers enough. Deeks remembers that he approached her in the middle of the night after he recognized her. After all, he hadn't seen her for like 10 years, he thinks, but he would recognize those eyes everywhere. He'd wanted to celebrate that he just passed the bar to become a lawyer, and his friends decided to try out the new club that just opened a few weeks ago.

He needed new territory anyway because basically every woman in the clubs he usually goes to knows him. He doesn't have many one night stands, but he's known.

He immediately begins chasing girls right after they enter the club; maybe that's why he doesn't see her sooner.

His way to the bar is quite a mission because the club's very full and everybody is dancing. After he finally finds his way to the bar, he stops to watch her and a guy she's talking to. She looks good. Even prettier than when he saw her first. He thinks he's walked past her from time to time but he wasn't sure. She doesn't look comfortable with the man, but she doesn't look like she doesn't want his attention. After deciding to occupy the still empty seat on the left—the guy who she's talking to is sitting on the right side, he sits down and waits until she sees him. He doesn't have to wait long. She's grabbing her glass when she looks over her shoulder to see who's sitting next to her and he sees recognition flare in her eyes.

She smiles at him before turning back to the man. He's certain she's trying to find a way to get rid of him to talk to the one and only Marty Deeks, which is why he orders a beer at the bar and texts his guys not to wait for him.

A minute later she finally says goodbye to the man and turns towards him.

"I remember you," is the first thing she says says to him, "you're the boy from the beach who couldn't stop talking."

He smirks at her. "Guilty as charged."

"Marty Deeks. Always appears when life is kidding me. Next time talk to me before shit hits the fan."

Ugh. She's pissed. "I'm... sorry?"

She chuckles before finishing her drink. "Don't be—just like last time, time will heal everything, right?"

He's nodding. "Not everything, but nothing lasts forever, except real love."

"You really believe that?" she asks.

"Totally. I mean, yeah, it's a dream and it's sounds perfect to find the one person that you want to spend your life with. I'm still looking, though."

"Good luck, buddy," she says, grumpy.

"Will you tell me what's bothering you, Kensi?"

"Nope," she says, smiling at him sweetly, "but you can buy me a drink or two if you want."

He shakes his head before he signals the barkeep that he wants to order again. "I will get the secret out of you if you want to tell me or not. Either way I'm here and will cheer you up. You'll be having a good time from now on."

She watches him intensely. "You better hold that promise, mister. You don't want to disappoint me. I'm kick-ass."

"I don't doubt that," he answers and orders their next drink.

He doesn't order two, he orders a lot more—along with a few shots of tequila. The more drunk they get, the easier Marty can elicit the secret from her. She doesn't say much, just that her fiancé left her a few weeks ago. Hedoesn't push her, although he wants to. Instead, he orders two shots of tequila along with the lime and salt. Both feel the effect of the alcohol, but neither cares. Deeks distracts her easily and quickly pours salt on her neck after he makes the spot wet. Her mouth hangs open but she lets him do what he wants—only stipulating that either both of them do it or neither.

He happily agrees. He doesn't leave her the whole evening, only when they have to use the bathroom. She laughs a lot and seems happy to him.

"Who starts?" Deeks asks.

She points her finger at him and grins.

He just shrugs and acts brave. He abandons his stool and moves closer to her. He's watching her closely to notice every reaction to know when he should stop but so far there's none. He takes his glass in one hand and lays the other one on her thigh and squeezes.

He's stumbling a bit and uses her leg as a support. "Sorry," he quickly says after catching himself.

"Here we go," he murmurs before licking the salt of her neck. He doesn't lick it of right there and then. Deeks is more than a little drunk already and does things he wouldn't do when sober. At least not when he doesn't know if the woman shares his feelings of need or want.

Being drunk definitely helps him. He's leaving butterfly kisses beneath the salt trail and she's grabbing his arm just a little bit tighter than before, but nothing else.

After licking all the salt off he quickly drinks his shot of tequila and bites into the lemon to end his round.

"Ugh, this is disgusting," he says after his frown disappears.

He sits down on his stool again and waits until she's set and ready.

"My turn," she says, way too excited and definitely drunk.

"After that we're going dancing, I think I'll be broke when I leave tonight."

"Shouldn't have come to me then," she answers him.

"Now that would have been a tragedy. Best night I had in a long time," he admits.

The moment the world left his lips her smile turns into a frown.

He closes his eyes. Shit. Her boyfriend left her only weeks ago and he makes a comment about tragedy.

"I'm sor-," he starts saying but she interrupts him.

"You're right. Best night I had in a long time," she says, showing him a smile before finally licking the salt off his skin.

The feeling is amazing. Short, but amazing. He had girlfriends before and even nights like this, but never before was the game this funny and exciting.

He enjoys this great feeling way too long and doesn't notice she's already standing, slightly stumbling.

"You wanted to dance, now come on or I'll look for another man to dance with."

That seems to snap him out of his thoughts and he follows her onto the dance floor.

The music is nice, they mostly play new songs but some old dance hits are there too.

Some of his favorites are getting played so he has fun dancing with Kensi.

Sometimes she presses her back to his chest and he lets his hands wander, puts them on her waist to help her find the same rhythm, other times he wraps them completely around her and presses her closer to his chest and things that lay south from that.

Most times they just dance without touching, if they do it's between hands to make certain moves where he can pull her in after to enjoy her body some more.

He shouldn't think those things. At least not now.

But she doesn't seem to mind. She's laughing, smiling and grinning the whole time and sings along to the songs. She seems happy.

He stops dancing and just watches her. She can dance, like most people in the club.

He can't watch long because she notices it and takes his hand again to get him started again.

Right at this moment a new song starts and she recognizes it right away.

"That's my favorite tune! Jack can't destroy everything in my life," she tells him and slings her arms around his neck and sings along with the song.

He's laughing. "You wouldn't win any singing contest, that's for sure."

Like last time, he receives a mean punch and it hurts but she's forgiven when she leans into him.

"I don't want to boost your ego, which is already way too high, but thank you for tonight. I needed fun," she whispers into his ear.

"Anytime," he responds but doesn't stop right then and there. Her scent is intoxicating and he's drunk and he can't help himself.

He adds the next part with a plan. "But there's something else that would make this night even more memorable." He's already laid his hand on the small of her back.

She raises an eyebrow. "Tell me. I'm pretty sure you can't top anything I did tonight."

"I rather show you," he tells her and just as the best part of the song comes on he moves forward and presses his lips against hers and kisses her.

She tenses for a second but melts into him a second later. Kensi presses her body closer to his, which should be wrong. Their drunken minds can't tell and they stumble and break their kiss.

With widening eyes she looks at him. "Did we just k-kiss?"

"Hate to break it to you but yes," he tells her, chuckling.

He sees the wheels turning inside her head and knows what he did was wrong. "Listen, Kens-"

"No, don't say anything. Tonight was it. Period. This didn't happen. Period. I left after we finished our little game at the bar," she tells him, quickly and like she's not really here anymore.

"I—What?"

She shakes her head and steps forward. "Nothing. Good night," she says and smiles one last time before leaving him alone.

"Kensi, wait, I never got your number." He realizes too late that she's gone already.

He sighs and begins to walk to the exit as well, because he doesn't want to be here anymore.

"Guess she didn't want to give you her number, dude," some guy tells him, "there's gonna be someone else who's willing to soon."

"Whatever," he murmurs before leaving the scene. He's not sure if he will return.

Somehow he finds a taxi which drives him home, but he doesn't remember the trip at all. It's all a little fuzzy. As soon as he his head hits the pillows he's asleep.

He wakes up and doesn't remember how he got home. Or what he did after he talked to Kensi at the bar. The last thing he can recall from last night is Kensi ordering their fifth or something round of tequila. Everything after is a blank space. He thinks he dreamed of Kensi kissing him, and it felt really real, but he's had those dreams before, with a lot of girls. She would never kiss him. At least he dreamed it and it was one hell of a dream.

* * *

The third time he meets her is three months later when he's hiking and stops at the finish line of a 10-mile-run to watch the poor people who decided to join this run.

She's the second one who crosses the finish line and looks like she hasn't even run ten miles. More like three. He decides to go talk to her because he sees no one coming towards her.

He's standing beside her and wants to ask a question to startle her but she's already turning around.

Deeks notices she's just a little jumpy—as a detective he sees things others may not. "It's you," she says, "'it's like you can't keep away from me. Shouldn't you know better than following women? It's a little creepy."

He grins at her and she can't help but find it adorable because it makes him even more attractive. Not that she will ever tell him that. At least she knows his last name.

"Believe me, if I would want to stalk you, you wouldn't see me."

She winks at him. "Don't be so sure about that, Marty."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure, Missy. Anyway, second place? What are you? Wonder Woman? I mean, who runs for fun?"

She shakes her head, smiling before accepting the water he's offering her. "Well, you definitely don't run or this," she pinches some flab on his stomach and pulls, "would be gone."

He runs a hand through his hair and coughs. "That took some looking, huh? Do you like what you see?" he asks smirking.

"I don't even know why I'm still talking to you," she says, rolling her eyes.

"It's because you like me. I mean, look at me, who wouldn't like to have me as a friend;" he answers, grinning.

He hears her huff. "Definitely not because you're charming, shaggy."

"Oh, it's Shaggy, now?" he questions her.

"Yep," she says, grinning, "do you even own a brush?"

Good retort. "Touché," he says, chuckling.

"Touché," she answers.

He groans. "Wrong, you can't say touché."

"Try me, Deeks," she says, looking at him.

He just furrows his eyebrows. "I hope you stick around so I can," he says, seriously, "speaking of sticking round. We're some sort of friends, right?"

"Meh, guess so," she answers, curious what he wants to say.

"You already know my name, gave me nicknames and I probably told you more about me than I wanted, too."

She chuckles. "You talk way too much, that's for sure."

"Anyway, "he says, extending the word, "wouldn't it be fair to share your name and number with me?"

"Unbelievable," he hears her mutter.

He chuckles, "Or I give you my number."

"Fine," she says and gives him her phone.

"Thanks, Kensi with no name."

While he's typing she finally answers his request. "It's Blye. Kensi Blye."

"Good to know," he says and takes out his own phone, "only thing left is your number," he sneakily answers and presses call on her phone.

"What are y- No, don't you dare!" she yells and jumps to him to take her phone away but it's already too late.

"You know you wanted me to have your number."

He just watches her shaking her head ruefully. "I need to go home and take a shower."

"I can totally help you with that shower," he says, grinning.

"Ehw," she answers, pretending to gag.

"Just kidding. Or not? But you're right, you stink. Go home before animals die because of your smell."

"Thanks, Prince Charming," she says.

"Bye, Kensi Blye," he says, already walking away.

"Just get lost, Deeks."

She receives a message right after he disappears.

_Wanna grab breakfast, Kens? - D_

"This guy is unbelievable," she mutters under her breath, but she's grinning anyway.

She types her reply quickly.

_Meet me at M Street Kitchen restaurant in 30 minutes. I want the Chocolate Chip Pancake and a Blueberry Streusel Muffin. - K_

_It's a date. - D_

"No date," she tells herself, driving home to change.

Marty will never tell her he was nervous about sending that message, or that the best thing that happened on this day was their breakfast together. He will also never tell her that he checked out her ass, because he just can't resist looking when's she's wearing jeans that tight, which hug her in all the right places. He also likes to think she dressed this way just for him but that would be crazy.

She later tells him he's crazy and he thanks her for her little insult, because it just gives him a reason to look again since she dressed just for him.

* * *

_PS: Reviews are highly appreciated._


End file.
